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Columbus, Ohio
Arch City, Indie Art Capital, Cowtown,Sources for the nickname "Cowtown" include: National Geographic Magazine, March 1998, America's First Highway, pp. 82–99 (By William R. Newcott – National Geographic Senior Staff); The Cincinnati Enquirer, February 19, 2008: "Columbus Strives To Build A Big City Reputation" pp. B2 (By Julie Carr Smyth – The Associated Press); The Columbus Dispatch, November 21, 2010: "Despite its attributes, Columbus lacks a catchy moniker" pp. E1-2 (By Joe Blundo); The Columbus Dispatch, August 23, 2011: "She's no longer in Cowtown" People in the News pp. D6 (By Colleen Wright); The Columbus Dispatch, June 1, 1997: "Simply Bovine! Here's a moo-vable feast of cowtown facts and fancies" pp. J1,2 (By Joe Blundo); The Columbus Dispatch, May 11, 1997: "Many feel moved to boo, moo after arena issue loses" pp. 3F (By George Strode); The Columbus Dispatch, September 5, 1998: "So To Speak – Civic self-esteem? We'll let you know after football season" pp. D1 (By Joe Blundo); The Columbus Dispatch, June 30, 1988: "City sleeps, Ocean rocks" (By Steve Wright – Dispatch Popular Music Critic); Columbus Alive, February 2, 2012: "City: Cow-town image lives on at airport" (By John Ross); Columbus Dispatch, February 14, 2012: "People, places make for one great city" pp. A1,7 (By Jeb Phillips); Vinyl Ecstasy – The Second Q-FM-96 Hometown Album – LP Liner Notes 1980 (By Steve Runner – Program Director Q-FM-96); The Columbus Dispatch, April 16, 2006: "Some don't like OSU's new jerseys; others just don't like those who don't" pp. E3 (By Ray Stein); The Columbus Dispatch, June 9, 1989: "Lowly image doesn't seem to bother us" pp. F1 (By Mike Harden); The Columbus Dispatch, March 25, 1994: "Amphitheater without alcohol will draw drugs" pp. A8 (By Jack McEowen); The Columbus Dispatch, March 12, 1994: "Columbus could support sports arena, NHL team" pp. A7 (By Randy Campbell);The Columbus Dispatch, April 7, 2013: "Elite Eight appearance not enough for some Matta critics" pp. C3 (By Ray Stein/J.T. Fermenti);The Columbus Dispatch, July 25, 1989: "Use of cowbells at stadium promotes the cowtown image" pp. 8A (By Lawrence S. O'Connor) and The Columbus Dispatch, December 22, 2013: "Checking In - Columbus should have a cow for new year" pp. G1,6 (By Cindy Decker) The Biggest Small Town in America The Columbus Dispatch, May 11, 1986: "Progress, growth are not in 'Hicksville' dictionary" pp.B2 (By Bob Young)The Columbus Dispatch, April 26, 1986: "Bigger is not always better, growth not always progress" pp. 10A (By Brenda Petruzzella) |website = www.columbus.gov |image_skyline = Montage Columbus 1.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = Images, from top left to right: Downtown Columbus, Ohio Statehouse Capitol Square, University Hall, Short North, Nationwide Arena, Santa Maria replica |image_flag = Flag of Columbus, Ohio.svg |image_seal = Seal of Columbus, Ohio.svg |image_map = OHMap-doton-Columbus.svg |mapsize = 250px |map_caption = Location in the state of Ohio, USA |pushpin_map = USA |pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States |coordinates_display = inline,title |coordinates_region = US-OH |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_type1 = State |subdivision_type2 = Counties |subdivision_name = United States |subdivision_name1 = Ohio |subdivision_name2 = Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin |government_type = |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Michael B. Coleman (D) |leader_title1 = City Council |leader_name1 = |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0; |title_style = |list_style = text-align:left;display:none; |1 = Andrew J. Ginther (D) |2 = A. Troy Miller (D) |3 = Hearcel F. Craig (D) |4 = Zachary M. Klein (D) |5 = Michelle M. Mills (D) |6 = Eileen Y. Paley (D) |7 = Priscilla R. Tyson (D)}} |established_date = February 14, 1812 |unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 577.85 |area_land_km2 = 562.47 |area_water_km2 = 15.38 |area_total_sq_mi = 223.11 |area_land_sq_mi = 217.17 |area_water_sq_mi = 5.94 |area_water_percent = |population_as_of = 2010 |population_est = 809,798 |pop_est_as_of = 2012American FactFinder - Results |population_footnotes = |population_total = 787033 (US: 15th) |population_density_km2 = 1399.2 |population_density_sq_mi = 3624.0 |population_metro = 1,858,464 (US: 32nd) |postal_code_type = ZIP codes |postal_code = 43085, 43119, 43201, 43202, 43203, 43204, 43205, 43206, 43207, 43209, 43210, 43211, 43212, 43213, 43214, 43215, 43216, 43217, 43218, 43219, 43220, 43221, 43222, 43223, 43224, 43226, 43227, 43228, 43229, 43230, 43231, 43232, 43234, 43235, 43236 |area_code = 614 |timezone = EST |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = EDT |utc_offset_DST = -4 |latd = 39 |latm = 59 |latNS = N |longd = 82 |longm = 59 |longEW = W |elevation_m = 275 |elevation_ft = 902 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 39-18000 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 1080996 |footnotes = }} Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The Columbus metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which encompasses several counties, is the third largest in Ohio, after the Cleveland MSA and the Cincinnati MSA (which includes portions of Kentucky and Indiana). Columbus is the fifteenth largest city in the United States of America. It is the county seat of Franklin County,. The city has also expanded and annexed portions of adjoining Delaware County and Fairfield County. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. The population of the city was 787,033 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous city in Ohio. Although Columbus was the 15th largest city in the United States, its metropolitan area was 28th largest, with 2,308,509 residents. It is the fourth most populous state capital in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Columbus Combined Statistical Area (which also includes Marion and Chillicothe) has a population of 2,348,495. The city has a diverse economy based on education, government, insurance, banking, fashion, defense, aviation, food, clothes, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail, and technology. Columbus is home to the world's largest private research and development foundation, the Battelle Memorial Institute; Chemical Abstracts Service, the world's largest clearinghouse of chemical information; NetJets, the world's largest fractional ownership jet aircraft fleet; and Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the United States. As of 2013, the city has the headquarters of four corporations in the U.S. Fortune 500, including Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, American Electric Power, L Brands, and Big Lots;"Fortune 500 features 5 Central Ohio companies, down from 6 last year", Columbus Business First. 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013. Cardinal Health and Wendy's corporations are also based in the Columbus metropolitan area. In 2012, Columbus was ranked in BusinessWeek's 50 best cities in America. In 2013, Forbes gave Columbus an A rating as one of the top cities for business in the U.S.,"Columbus, Ohio", Forbes. Accessed June 25, 2013. and later that year included the city on its list of Best Places for Business and Careers. Columbus was also ranked as the no. 1 up-and-coming tech city in the nation by Forbes in 2008,"Top 10 Up-And-Coming Tech Cities", William Pentland. Forbes Magazine. March 10, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2010. and the city was ranked a top ten city by Relocate America in 2010. In 2007, fDi Magazine ranked the city no. 3 in the U.S. for cities of the future, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was rated no. 1 in 2009 by USA Travel Guide. History Ohio Country The region where modern-day Columbus is found was once called the Ohio Country,"The testing grounds of modern empire: the making of colonial racial order in the American Ohio country and the South African Eastern Cape, 1770s–1850s", Christoph Strobel. Peter Lang, 2008. ISBN 1-4331-0123-8, ISBN 978-1-4331-0123-6. p. 22 under the control of the French Empire through the Vice-royauté of New France. European traders flocked to the area, in the interests of the fur trade."Chapter One: The Anglo-French Contest for the Ohio Country", Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Retrieved September 10, 2010. The area was consistently caught between warring factions, including Native American and European interests. In the 1740s Pennsylvania traders had overrun the territory until the French forcibly evicted them."The ambiguous Iroquois empire: the Covenant Chain confederation of Indian tribes with English colonies from its beginnings to the Lancaster Treaty of 1744", Francis Jennings. W. W. Norton & Company, 1990. ISBN 0-393-30302-0, ISBN 978-0-393-30302-5. p. 351. In the early 1750s George Washington was sent to the Ohio Country by the Ohio Company to survey, and the fight for control of the territory would spark Europe's Seven Years' War with the French and Indian War. The Treaty of Paris ceded the country to the British Empire in 1763. During this period the country was routinely engaged in turmoil, with massacres and battles occurring. Virginia Military District Following the American Revolution, the Ohio Country became part of the Virginia Military District under the control of the United States. Colonialists from the East Coast moved in, but rather than finding an empty frontier, they encountered people of the Miami, Delaware, Wyandot, Shawnee, and Mingo nations, as well as European traders. The tribes resisted expansion by the fledgling United States, resulting in years of bitter conflict. The decisive Battle of Fallen Timbers resulted in the Treaty of Greenville, which finally opened the way for new settlements. By 1797, a young surveyor from Virginia named Lucas Sullivant had founded a permanent settlement on the west bank of the forks of the Scioto River. An admirer of Benjamin Franklin, Sullivant chose to name his frontier village "Franklinton".Lentz, p. 33 Although the location was desirable in its proximity to navigable rivers, Sullivant was initially foiled when, in 1798, a large flood wiped out the newly formed settlement.Moore, p. 101 He persevered, and the village was rebuilt. 19th century After Ohio achieved statehood in 1803, political infighting among Ohio's more prominent leaders resulted in the state capital moving from Chillicothe to Zanesville and back again. The state legislature finally decided that a new capital city, located in the center of the state, was a necessary compromise. Columbus was chosen as the site for the new capital because of its central location within the state and access by way of major transportation routes (primarily rivers) at that time. The legislature chose it as Ohio's capital over a number of other competitors, including Franklinton, Dublin, Worthington, and Delaware. Prior to the state legislature's decision in 1812, Columbus did not exist. The city was designed from the first as the state's capital, preparing itself for its role in Ohio's political, economic, and social life. Named in honor of Christopher Columbus, the capital city was founded on February 14, 1812, on the "High Banks opposite Franklinton at the Forks of the Scioto known as Wolf's Ridge."Lentz, pp. 41–43 At the time, this area was a dense forestland, used only as a hunting ground.Moore, p. 122 The "Burough of Columbus" was officially established on February 10, 1816.Moore, pp. 135–136 Nine people were elected to fill the various positions of Mayor, Treasurer, and others. Although the recent War of 1812 had brought prosperity to the area, the subsequent recession and conflicting claims to the land threatened the success of the new town. Early conditions were abysmal with frequent bouts of fevers and an outbreak of cholera in 1833.Moore, pp. 138–140 The National Road reached Columbus from Baltimore in 1831, which complemented the city's new link to the Ohio and Erie Canal and facilitated a population boom.Lentz, p. 58 A wave of immigrants from Europe resulted in the establishment of two ethnic enclaves on the outskirts of the city. A significant Irish population settled in the north along Naghten Street (presently Nationwide Boulevard), while the Germans took advantage of the cheap land to the south, creating a community that came to be known as Das Alte Südende (The Old South End). Columbus's German population constructed numerous breweries, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and Capital University.Lentz, pp. 63–64 With a population of 3500, Columbus was officially chartered as a city on March 3, 1834. The legislature carried out a special act on that day, which granted legislative authority to the city council and judicial authority to the mayor. Elections were held in April of that year, with voters choosing one John Brooks as the first mayor.Moore, p. 156 Columbus annexed the separate city of Franklinton in 1837. In 1850 the Columbus and Xenia Railroad became the first railroad to enter the city, followed by the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad in 1851. The two railroads built a joint Union Station on the east side of High Street just north of Naghten (then called North Public Lane). Rail traffic into Columbus increased—by 1875 Columbus was served by eight railroads, and a new, more elaborate station was built. On January 7, 1857, the Ohio Statehouse finally opened to the public after 18 years of construction.Lentz, pp. 70–71 , subject of TIME Magazine's July 9, 1951, cover]] During the Civil War, Columbus was a major base for the volunteer Union Army that housed 26,000 troops and held up to 9,000 Confederate prisoners of war at Camp Chase located at what is now the Hilltop neighborhood of west Columbus. Over 2,000 Confederate soldiers remain buried at the site, making it one of the largest Confederate cemeteries in the North.Lentz, p. 78 North of Columbus, along the Delaware Road, the Regular Army established Camp Thomas, where the 18th U.S. Infantry was organized and trained. By virtue of the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College (which became The Ohio State University) was founded in 1870 on the former estate of William and Hannah Neil.Lentz, p.57 in downtown Columbus]] By the end of the 19th century, Columbus saw the rise of several major manufacturing businesses. The city became known as the "Buggy Capital of the World", thanks to the presence of some two dozen buggy factories, notably the Columbus Buggy Company, which was founded in 1875 by C.D. Firestone. The Columbus Consolidated Brewing Company also rose to prominence during this time, and it may have had achieved even greater success were it not for the influence of the Anti-Saloon League, based in neighboring Westerville.Lentz, pp. 85–87 In the steel industry, a forward-thinking man named Samuel P. Bush presided over the Buckeye Steel Castings Company. Columbus was also a popular location for the organization of labor. In 1886, Samuel Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor in Druid's Hall on S. Fourth Street, and in 1890 the United Mine Workers of America was founded at old City Hall.Lentz, pp. 91–92 In 1894, James Thurber, who would go on to an illustrious literary career in Paris and New York City, was born in the city. Today the Ohio State's theater department has a performance center named in his honor, and his youthful home near the Discovery District is on the National Register of Historic Places. 20th century to the present in late 2002]] "The Columbus Experiment" was an internationally recognized environmental project in 1908, which saw the construction of the first water plant in the world to apply filtration and softening, designed and invented by Hoover brothers, Clarence and Charles. Those working to construct the project included Jeremiah O'Shaughnessy, name-bearer of the Columbus metropolitan area's O'Shaughnessy Dam. This invention helped drastically reduce typhus deaths. These designs are still in use today."General Water Treatment Process", Department of Public Utilities, City of Columbus (2007). Retrieved July 3, 2012 Columbus earned one of its nicknames, "The Arch City", because of the dozens of wooden arches that spanned High Street at the turn of the 20th century. The arches illuminated the thoroughfare and eventually became the means by which electric power was provided to the new streetcars. The arches were torn down and replaced with cluster lights in 1914, but were reconstructed from metal in the Short North district in 2002 for their unique historical interest.Lentz, pp. 94–95 On March 25, 1913, the Great Dayton Flood devastated the neighborhood of Franklinton, leaving over ninety people dead and thousands of West Side residents homeless. To prevent future flooding, the Army Corps of Engineers recommended widening the Scioto River through downtown, constructing new bridges, and building a retaining wall along its banks. With the strength of the post-World War I economy, a construction boom occurred in the 1920s, resulting in a new Civic center, the Ohio Theatre, the American Insurance Union Citadel, and, to the north, a massive new Ohio Stadium.Lentz, pp. 112–113 Although the American Professional Football Association was founded in Canton in 1920, its head offices moved to Columbus in 1921 and remained in the city until 1941. In 1922, the association's name was changed to the National Football League. A decade later, in 1931, at a convention in the city, the Jehovah's Witnesses took that name by which they are known today. , downtown]] The effects of the Great Depression were somewhat less severe in Columbus, as the city's diversified economy helped it fare marginally better than its Rust Belt neighbors. World War II brought a tremendous number of new jobs to the city, and with it another population surge. This time, the majority of new arrivals were migrants from the "extraordinarily depressed rural areas" of Appalachia, who would soon account for more than a third of Columbus' rising population.Lentz, pp.116–118 In 1948, the Town and Country Shopping Center opened in suburban Whitehall, and it is now regarded as one of the first modern shopping centers in the United States.Lentz, p. 122 's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte."1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die", Rae Spencer-Jones, Elizabeth Scholtz. Barron's Educational Series, 2007. ISBN 0-7641-6005-2, ISBN 978-0-7641-6005-9. p. 80]] The construction of the interstate highway signaled the arrival of rapid suburb development in central Ohio. In order to protect the city's tax base from this suburbanization, Columbus adopted a policy of linking sewer and water hookups to annexation to the city.Lentz, p. 129 By the early 1990s, Columbus had grown to become Ohio's largest city in both land area and in population. Efforts to revitalize downtown Columbus have had some success in recent decades, though like most major American cities, some architectural heritage was lost in the process. In the 1970s, landmarks such as Union Station and the Neil House Hotel were razed to construct high-rise offices and big retail space. The National City Bank building was constructed in 1977, as well as the Nationwide Plazas and other towers that sprouted during this period. The construction of the Greater Columbus Convention Center has brought major conventions and trade shows to the city. The Scioto Mile is a showcase park that is being developed along the riverfront, an area which has already seen the development of Miranova Corporate Center and The Condominiums at North Bank Park. Corporate interests have developed Capitol Square, including the local NBC affiliate locating at the corner of Broad and High. The 2010 United States foreclosure crisis has forced the city to purchase numerous foreclosed, vacant properties – either to renovate them or to demolish them – at a cost of tens of millions of dollars. As of February 2011, there are an unprecedented 6,117 vacant properties in Columbus, according to city officials. visited in 1928 for an aviation campaign.]] Aviation In 1907, 14-year-old Cromwell Dixon built the "SkyCycle," a pedal-powered blimp, which he flew at Driving Park."75 Years of Flight in Columbus", Port Columbus International Airport. Retrieved July 3, 2012. In 1910, the world's first commercial cargo flight occurred when one of the Wright Brothers' exhibition pilots, Phillip Parmalee, flew two packages containing 88 kilograms of silk from Dayton to Columbus in a Wright Model B, a distance of ."History of Air Cargo and Airmail from the 18th Century", Camille Allaz. 2005. ISBN 0-9548896-0-6, ISBN 978-0-9548896-0-9. Less than 20 years later, Port Columbus Airport became the axis of a coordinated rail-to-air transcontinental system that moved passengers from the East Coast to the West, with TAT, which later became TWA, providing the commercial service, following Charles Lindbergh's promotion of Columbus to the nation for such a hub. Following the failure of a bond levy in 1927 to build the airport, Lindbergh personally campaigned in the city in 1928, and the next bond levy passed that year. On July 8, 1929 the airport opened for business with the inaugural TAT west-bound flight from Columbus to Waynoka, Oklahoma. Among the 19 passengers on that flight was Amelia Earhart, with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone attending the opening ceremonies. In 1964, Ohio native Geraldine Fredritz Mock became the first woman to fly around the world, leaving from Columbus and piloting the Spirit of Columbus. Her flight lasted nearly a month, and set a record for speed for planes under 3858 pounds.Geraldine Fredritz Mock at Ohio History Central Geography ]] The confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers occurs just west of downtown Columbus. Several smaller tributaries course through the Columbus metro area, including Alum Creek, Big Walnut Creek, and Darby Creek. Columbus is considered to have relatively flat topography thanks to a large glacier that covered most of Ohio during the Wisconsin Ice Age. However, there are sizable differences in elevation through the area, with the high point of Franklin County being above sea level near New Albany, and the low point being where the Scioto River leaves the county near Lockbourne. Numerous ravine areas near the rivers and creeks also help give some variety to the landscape. Tributaries to Alum Creek and the Olentangy River cut through shale, while tributaries to the Scioto River cut through limestone. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Climate The region's climate is transitional between humid continental (Köppen climate classification Dfa) and the humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa), characterized by hot, muggy summers and cold, dry winters. Winter snowfall is relatively light, since the city is not in the typical path of strong winter lows, such as the Nor'easters that strike cities farther east. It is also too far south and west for lake-effect snow from Lake Erie to have much effect, although the lakes to the North do contribute to long stretches of cloudy spells in winter. The highest temperature ever recorded in Columbus was , which occurred twice during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s—once on July 21, 1934, and again on July 14, 1936.Records for Columbus. National Weather Service. Retrieved on 2008-11-16. The lowest temperature ever recorded was , occurring on January 19, 1994. (wind chill was ). Columbus is subject to severe weather typical to the Midwestern United States. Severe thunderstorms can bring frequent lightning, large hail and Tornadoes, especially during the spring and sometimes through fall, a recent one of which occurred on October 11, 2006 and caused F2 damage. Floods, blizzards, and ice storms can also occur from time to time. Demographics In 1900, whites made up 93.4% of the population. Though European immigration has been on a decline, the Columbus metropolitan area has recently experienced increases in African, Asian, and Latin American immigration, including groups from Mexico, India, Somalia, and China. Although the Asian population is diverse, the city's Hispanic community is mainly made up of Mexicans, though there is a notable Puerto Rican population as well. Many other countries of origin are represented in lesser numbers, largely due to the international draw of The Ohio State University. 2008 estimates indicate that roughly 116,000 of the city's residents are foreign-born, accounting for 82% of the new residents between 2000–2006 at a rate of 105 per week. 40% of the immigrants came from Asia, 23% from Africa, 22% from Latin America, and 13% from Europe."Capacity Building Initiative: Immigrant and Refugee Organizations", Columbus Foundation. 2006. Retrieved July 3, 2012. Due to its demographics, which include a mix of races and a wide range of incomes, as well as urban, suburban, and nearby rural areas, Columbus is considered to be a "typical" American city, and has been used as a test market for new products by retail and restaurant chains. However, newer studies suggest that Columbus may no longer accurately mirror the U.S. population as a whole. Columbus is home to a proportional LGBT community, with an estimated 34,952 gay, lesbian, or bisexual residents. Retrieved July 3, 2012. It has been rated as one of the best cities in the country for gays and lesbians to live, and also as the most underrated gay city in the country. In July 2012, the Columbus City Council unanimously passed a domestic partnership registry. 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 787,033 people, 331,602 households, and 176,037 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 370,965 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 61.5% White, 28.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.9% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.6% of the population. There were 331,602 households of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.0% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.9% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age in the city was 31.2 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 14% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.3% were from 25 to 44; 21.8% were from 45 to 64; and 8.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female. 2000 census As of the census of 2000,there were 711,470 people, 301,534 households, and 165,240 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,383.6 people per . There were 327,175 housing units at an average density of 1,556.0 per . The racial makeup of the city was 67.93% White, 24.47% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 3.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. 2.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The five most common ancestries reported were German (19.4%), Irish (11.7%), English (7.9%), Polish (7.2%), and Italian (5.0%). attracts thousands of students from all over the world]] There were 301,534 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.01. The age distribution is 24.2% under the age of 18, 14.0% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,897, and the median income for a family was $47,391. Males had a median income of $35,138 versus $28,705 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,450. About 10.8% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over. Rankings Columbus was ranked as the 15th most literate city in the country in 2008 by Central Connecticut State University,"America's Most Literate Cities", Central Connecticut State University, Retrieved November 19, 2009. and the 19th best educated."America's Most Literate Cities", Central Connecticut State University, Retrieved November 19, 2009. In 2006, Columbus was ranked by CNN Money as the 8th best big city in the country to live in."10 Best Big Cities", CNN Money, Retrieved January 9, 2010. In 2012, Columbus was ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek as America's 20th Best City, the highest-ranked city in Ohio."America's 50 Best Cities", BloombergBusinessweek, Retrieved February 18, 2013 In 2010, the city was ranked as the second most manly city in the country by Sperling's BestPlaces,"Columbus No. 2 In Manliest City Ranking", Columbus Dispatch. June 24, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2010 up from number 7 in 2009."America's Manliest Cities", Sperling's BestPlaces, Retrieved January 9, 2010. Also, that same year, the Dole Nutrition Institute named Columbus as a top city for salad consumption."Baltimore Is a Top 2010 Salad City", Reuters. July 13, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2012. In 2013, the city was named the most intelligent city in the United States by the Intelligent Communities Forum. Neighborhoods File:Arena District Columbus11.jpg|Arena District File:House in Brewery District, Columbus, Ohio.jpg|Brewery District File:Walhalla-Ravine.jpg|Clintonville File:Columbus-ohio-skyline.jpg|Downtown Columbus, Ohio File:East Broad Street Historic District.jpg|East Columbus, Ohio File:AMCEaston.JPG|Easton Town Center File:ForestParkEntrance ColumbusOhio.jpg|Forest Park File:Ftonplaque.jpg|Franklinton File:German Village-2005-07-02-IMG 4527.jpg|German Village File:HWnew.jpg|Harrison West File:Columbus Italian Village1.jpg|Italian Village File:Ltheatre.jpg|King-Lincoln Bronzeville File:MVsign.jpg|Merion Village File:Columbus Near East Side Historic District-Parsons A NRHP 78002063.jpg|Near East Side, Columbus, Ohio File:Alrosa Villa Columbus Ohio USA.jpg|Northland File:OOchurch.jpg|Old Oaks File:OTEhome.jpg|Olde Towne East File:The Short North-2005-07-03-IMG 4557.jpg|The Short North File:University Hall OSU March.JPG|University District File:Columbus-ohio-high-street-night.jpg|Uptown File:Frick.jpg|Victorian Village Law and government The city is administered by a mayor and a seven-member unicameral council elected in two classes every two years to four-year terms. The mayor appoints the director of safety and the director of public service. The people elect the auditor, municipal court clerk, municipal court judges and city attorney. A charter commission, elected in 1913, submitted, in May 1914, a new charter offering a modified Federal form, with a number of progressive features, such as nonpartisan ballot, preferential voting, recall of elected officials, the referendum, and a small council elected at large. The charter was adopted, effective January 1, 1916. The current mayor of Columbus is Michael B. Coleman. Crime The City of Columbus is policed by a Municipal police Department, the Columbus Division of Police.NBC 4, Columbus Police Helicopters Retrieved July 3, 2012. According to the CQ Press in 2009, Columbus ranked as the 38th most dangerous city in the United States, though it has never been ranked among the top 25. This ranking is based on crime statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as weighted by the CQ Press. In 2011, Columbus had 92 homicides, which was an average year for the city, and 658 violent crimes for every 100,000 people. A crime incident map, updated daily, is available for Columbus, Ohio.Postacrime.com including crime location, type and detailed information. Economy Columbus has a generally strong and diverse economy based on education, insurance, banking, fashion, defense, aviation, food, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail, and technology. Overall, it was ranked as one of the top 10 best big cities in the country in 2010, according to Relocate America, a real estate research firm."Ranking: Columbus among top 10 big cities", BizJournals. Retrieved April 22, 2010. MarketWatch ranked Columbus and its metro area as the No. 7 best place in the country to operate a business in 2008.Market Watch, Best Places to do business Retrieved July 26, 2009. In 2012, Forbes Magazine ranked the city as the best city for working moms.Forbes, Best Cities for Working Mothers, Forbes, Retrieved October 12, 2012. In 2007, the city was ranked No. 3 in the United States by fDi magazine for "Cities of the Future", and No. 4 for most business-friendly in the country."Location Overview", Ohio Equities, Retrieved November 13, 2009. Columbus was ranked as the seventh strongest economy in the United States in 2006, and the best in Ohio, according to Policom Corp."Study: Columbus has Ohio's best economy", Columbus Biz Journals, Retrieved January 9, 2010. In 2011, the Columbus metropolitan area's GDP was $94.7 billion,http://usmayors.org/metroeconomies/0712/FullReport.pdf up from $90 billion in 2009,"Top 100 U.S. metro economies", U.S. Conference of Mayors. Retrieved April 22, 2010. up from $85.5 billion in 2006,"Chamber Reports Third Quarter Increase in Employment", Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved April 22, 2010. $75.43 billion in 2005, and $69.98 billion in 2001."New metro GDP stats show slow Columbus growth", Biz Journals. Retrieved April 22, 2010. During the recession beginning in late 2007, Columbus' economy was not impacted as much as the rest of the country, due to decades of diversification work by long-time corporate residents, business leaders, and political leaders. The current administration of mayor Michael B. Coleman has continued this work, although the city faced financial turmoil and had to increase taxes, due in part to alleged fiscal mismanagement."Recount Still Possible", This Week Community Papers, Retrieved November 13, 2009.NBC 4, Columbus Budget Shortfall, Tax Increase Retrieved July 26, 2009. As Columbus is the state capital, there is a large government presence in the city. Including city, county, state, and federal employers, government jobs provide the largest single source of employment within Columbus. In 2013, the city had four corporations named to the U.S. Fortune 500 list including Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, American Electric Power, L Brands, and Big Lots, with Cardinal Health located in suburban Dublin. Other major employers in the area include numerous schools (for example, The Ohio State University) and hospitals, hi-tech research and development including the Battelle Memorial Institute, information/library companies such as OCLC and Chemical Abstracts, financial institutions such as JP Morgan Chase and Huntington Bancshares, as well as Owens Corning and Wendy's. Major foreign corporations operating or with divisions in the city include Germany-based Siemens and Roxane Laboratories, Finland-based Vaisala, Japan-based Techneglas, Inc. (Techneglas closed operations in Columbus), Tomasco Mulciber Inc., A Y Manufacturing, as well as Switzerland-based ABB Group and Mettler Toledo. Transportation Grid and address system The city's street plan originates downtown and extends into the old-growth neighborhoods, following a grid pattern with the intersection of High Street (running north–south) and Broad Street (running east–west) at its center. North-South streets run 12 degrees west of due North, parallel to High Street; the Avenues (vis. Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Seventh Avenue, and so on.) run east–west.Moore, p. 127 The address system begins its numbering at the intersection of Broad and High, with numbers increasing in magnitude with distance from Broad or High. Numbered Avenues begin with First Avenue, about north of Broad Street, and increase in number as one progresses northward. Numbered Streets begin with Second Street, which is two blocks west of High Street, and Third Street, which is a block east of High Street, then progress eastward from there. Even-numbered addresses are on the north and east sides of streets, putting odd addresses on the south and west sides of streets. A difference of 700 house numbers means a distance of about (along the same street). For example, 351 W 5th Avenue is approximately west of High Street on the south side of Fifth Avenue. Buildings along north–south streets are numbered in a similar manner: the building number indicates the approximate distance from Broad Street, the prefixes ‘N’ and ‘S’ indicate whether that distance is to measured to the north or south of Broad Street and the street number itself indicates how far the street is from the center of the city at the intersection of Broad and High. This street numbering system does not hold true over a large area. The area served by numbered Avenues runs from about Marble Cliff to South Linden to the Airport, and the area served by numbered Streets covers Downtown and nearby neighborhoods to the east and south, with only a few exceptions. There are quite few intersections between numbered Streets and Avenues. Furthermore, named Streets and Avenues can have any orientation. For example, while all of the numbered avenues run east–west, perpendicular to High Street, many named, non-numbered avenues run north–south, parallel to High. The same is true of many named streets: while the numbered streets in the city run north–south, perpendicular to Broad Street, many named, non-numbered streets run east–west, perpendicular to High Street. The addressing system, however, covers nearly all of Franklin County, with only a few older suburbs retaining self-centered address systems. The address scale of 700 per mile results in addresses approaching, but not usually reaching, 10,000 at the county's borders. Other major, local roads in Columbus include Main Street, Morse Road, Dublin-Granville Road (SR-161), Cleveland Avenue/Westerville Road (SR-3), Olentangy River Road, Riverside Drive, Sunbury Road, Fifth Avenue and Livingston Avenue. Highways Columbus is bisected by two major Interstate Highways, Interstate 70 running east–west, and Interstate 71 running north to roughly southwest. The two Interstates combine downtown for about in an area locally known as "The Split", which is a major traffic congestion point within Columbus, especially during rush hour. U.S. Highway 40, aka National Road, runs east–west through Columbus, comprising Main Street to the east of downtown and Broad Street to the west. It is also widely recognized as the nation's first highway. U.S. Highway 23 runs roughly north–south, while U.S. Highway 33 runs northwest-to-southeast. The Interstate 270 Outerbelt encircles the vast majority of the city, while the newly redesigned Innerbelt consists of the Interstate 670 spur on the north side (which continues to the east past the Airport and to the west where it merges with I-70), State Route 315 on the west side, the I-70/71 split on the south side, and I-71 on the east. Due to its central location within Ohio and abundance of outbound roadways, nearly all of the state's destinations are within a 2 or 3 hour drive of Columbus. , University District]] Bridges The Columbus riverfront hosts a few notable bridges which have been built since 2000. The Main Street Bridge opened on July 30, 2010 and is the first bridge of its kind in North America. The bridge is located directly south of COSI on the Scioto river, featuring three lanes of traffic (one westbound and two eastbound) and another separated lane for pedestrians and bikes. The Rich Street Bridge opened in July 2012 and is adjacent to the Main Street Bridge connecting Rich Street on the east side of the river with Town Street on the west. The Lane Avenue Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that opened on November 14, 2003 in the University District and spans the Olentangy river with three lanes of traffic each way. Airports ]] The city's primary airport, Port Columbus International Airport, is located on the east side of the city, with several smaller airports in the region as well. Port Columbus provides service to Toronto, Canada and Cancun, Mexico (on a seasonal basis), as well as to most domestic destinations, including all the major hubs except San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. Port Columbus was a hub for discount carrier Skybus Airlines and continues to be a home to NetJets, the world's largest fractional ownership air carrier. According to a 2005 market survey, Port Columbus International Airport attracts about 50% of its passengers from outside of its radius primary service region. Port Columbus is currently the 52nd-busiest airport in the United States by total passenger boardings.Columbus Dispatch, February 26, 2012: "Can't get there from here (At least, not without a layover"), pp. D1-2 (By Steve Wartenberg) Rickenbacker International Airport, in southern Franklin County, is a major cargo facility and is utilized by the Ohio Air National Guard. Allegiant Air offers nonstop service from Rickenbacker to various Florida destinations. OSU Don Scott Airport and Bolton Field are significant general-aviation facilities in the Columbus area. Mass transit Columbus maintains a widespread municipal bus service called the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). Currently, Columbus does not have any type of passenger rail service. Columbus used to have a major train station downtown called Union Station, most notably as a stop along Amtrak's National Limited train service until 1977. The station itself was razed in 1979, and the Greater Columbus Convention Center now stands in its place. The station was also a stop along the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad and the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad. Columbus is now the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. without either a local rail or intercity rail connection (Phoenix opened a light-rail system in 2008, but still lacks an Amtrak connection. Other metro areas larger than Columbus also lack local rail systems.); however studies are underway towards reintroducing passenger rail service to Columbus via the Ohio Hub project. Plans are in the works to open a high-speed rail service connecting Columbus with Cincinnati and to the proposed hub in Cleveland which offers rail service to the East Coast, including New York and Washington, DC.Columbus Dispatch, High Speed Rail Retrieved July 26, 2009. Bicycle Bicycling as transportation is steadily increasing in Columbus with its relatively flat terrain, intact urban neighborhoods, large student population, and off-road bike paths. The city has put forth the 2012 Bicentennial Bikeways Plan as well as a move toward a Complete Streets policy. Grassroots efforts such as Bike To Work Week, Consider Biking, Yay Bikes, Third Hand Bicycle Co-op, Franklinton Cycleworks, and Cranksters, a local radio program focused on urban cycling, have contributed to cycling as transportation. Columbus also hosts urban cycling "off-shots" with messenger-style "alleycat" races as well as unorganized group rides, a monthly Critical Mass ride, bicycle polo, art showings, movie nights, and a variety of bicycle-friendly businesses and events throughout the year. All this activity occurs despite Columbus's frequently inclement weather. The new Main Street Bridge features a dedicated bike and pedestrian lane separated from traffic, as will the Rich Street Bridge when it opens in 2011. Education , Discovery District]] ]] Colleges and universities Columbus is the home of two public colleges: Ohio State University, one of the largest college campuses in the United States, and Columbus State Community College. In 2009, The Ohio State University was ranked No. 19 in the country by U.S. News and World Report for best public university, and No. 56 overall, scoring in the first tier of schools nationally.U.S. News and Reports, Best Colleges Retrieved July 26, 2009. Some of OSU's graduate school programs placed in the top 5, including: No. 5 for best veterinary program and No. 5 for best pharmacy program. The specialty graduate programs of social psychology was ranked No. 2, dispute resolution was ranked No. 5, vocational education No. 2, and elementary education, secondary teacher education, administration/supervision No. 5.Ohio State University, News Release Retrieved July 26, 2009. Private institutions located in Columbus include Capital University Law School, the Columbus College of Art and Design, Fortis College, DeVry University, Ohio Business College, Miami-Jacobs Career College, Ohio Institute of Health Careers, Bradford School and Franklin University, as well as the religious schools Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, Mount Carmel College of Nursing, Ohio Dominican University, Pontifical College Josephinum, and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Three major suburban schools also have an influence on Columbus' educational landscape: Bexley's Capital University, Westerville's Otterbein University, and Delaware's Ohio Wesleyan University. Primary and secondary schools Columbus City Schools (CCS), formerly Columbus Public Schools, is the largest district in Ohio, with 55,000 pupils. CCS operates 142 elementary, middle, and high schools, including a number of magnet schools (which are referred to as alternative schools within the school system). The suburbs operate their own districts as well, typically serving students in one or more townships, with districts sometimes crossing municipal boundaries. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus also operates numerous parochial elementary and high schools. The second largest school district in the area is South-Western City Schools, which encompasses southwestern Franklin County. There are also several private schools in the area. Some sources claim that the first kindergarten in the United States was established here by Louisa Frankenberg, a former student of Friedrich Fröbel. Frankenberg immigrated to the city in 1838. In addition, Indianola Junior High School became the nation's first junior high in 1909, helping to bridge the difficult transition from elementary to high school at a time when only 48% of students continued their education after the 9th grade. Libraries The Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) has been serving residents of central Ohio since 1873. With a collection of 3 million items, the system has 22 locations throughout the area. This library is one of the most-used library systems in the country and is consistently among the top-ranked large city libraries according to "Hennen's American Public Library Ratings." CML was rated the No. 1 library system in the nation in 1999, 2005, and 2008. It has been in the top four every year since 1999 when the rankings were first published in American Libraries magazine, often challenging up-state neighbor Cuyahoga County Public Library for the top spot. CML was named Library of the Year by the Library Journal in 2010. Culture Landmarks Columbus is home to several notable buildings, including the Greek Revival State Capitol, the art-deco Ohio Judicial Center and the Peter Eisenman-designed Wexner Center and Greater Columbus Convention Center. Other buildings of interest include the Rhodes State Office Tower, LeVeque Tower, and One Nationwide Plaza. The Ohio Statehouse construction began in 1839 on a plot of land donated by four prominent Columbus landowners. This plot formed Capitol Square, which was not part of the original layout of the city. Built of Columbus limestone from the Marble Cliff Quarry Co., the Statehouse stands on foundations deep, laid by prison labor gangs rumored to have been composed largely of masons jailed for minor infractions. The Statehouse features a central recessed porch with a colonnade of a forthright and primitive Greek Doric mode. A broad and low central pediment supports the windowed astylar drum under an invisibly low saucer dome that lights the interior rotunda. Unlike many U.S. state capitol buildings, the Ohio State Capitol owes little to the architecture of the national Capitol. During the long course of the Statehouse's 22 years of construction, seven architects were employed. Relations between the legislature and the architects were not always cordial: Nathan B. Kelly, who introduced heating and an ingenious system of natural forced ventilation, was dismissed because the commissioners found his designs too lavish for the original intentions of the committee. The Statehouse was opened to the legislature and the public in 1857 and finally completed in 1861. It is located at the intersection of Broad and High Streets in downtown Columbus. Founded in 1975, The Jefferson Center for Learning and the Arts is a campus of nonprofit organizations and a center for research, publications, and seminars on nonprofit leadership and governance. Located at the eastern edge of downtown Columbus, The Jefferson Center has restored 11 turn-of-the-century homes, including the childhood residence of James Thurber. These locations are used for nonprofits in human services, education and the arts. A to-scale replica of the Santa Maria is found on the Scioto Riverfront. It was installed in 1992 to commemorate the 500-year anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus' namesake. Within the Driving Park heritage district lies the original home of Eddie Rickenbacker, the famous WWI fighter pilot ace. Reconstruction of the home is underway. Established in 1848, Green Lawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in the Midwestern United States. Landmark photos File:Ohio Statehouse columbus.jpg|The Ohio Statehouse, Capitol Square File:Columbus-ohio-leveque-tower.jpg|LeVeque Tower, downtown File:Columbus Santa Maria1.jpg|Replica of Christopher Columbus's ship, The Santa Maria, downtown riverfront File:FPConservatory.jpg|Franklin Park Conservatory, Franklin Park Museums The Columbus Museum of Art opened in 1931, and has a collection focusing on European and American art up to early modernism that includes extraordinary examples of Impressionism, German Expressionism and Cubism. The Wexner Center for the Arts, a contemporary art gallery and research facility, is located on the Campus of The Ohio State University. Also on campus is the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame, located in the Jerome Schottenstein Center (home of the basketball and men's ice hockey teams), as well as the Jack Nicklaus museum next door. Located in Franklin Park, the Franklin Park Conservatory is a botanical garden which opened in 1895, situated on just east of Downtown. COSI Columbus, (Center of Science and Industry), is a large science museum. The present building, the former Central High School, was completed in November 1999, opposite downtown on the west bank of the River. In 2009, Parents magazine named COSI one of the ten best Science Centers for families in the country. The Ohio Historical Society is headquartered in Columbus, with its flagship museum, the Ohio Historical Center, located north of downtown. Along with the museum is Ohio Village, a replica of a village around the time of the American Civil War. The Kelton House Museum and Garden is a museum devoted to Victorian life. Built in 1852, it was home to three generations of the Kelton Family and was a documented station on the Underground Railroad. In 1989, Columbus hosted the "Son of Heaven: Imperial Arts of China," a cultural exchange display from China featuring the artifacts of the ancient Chinese emperors. Places of worship According to Sperling's BestPlaces, 37.6% of Columbus residents are religious. Of this group, 15.7% identify as Protestant, 13.7% as Catholic, 1.5% as Jewish, 0.6% as Muslim, and 0.5% as Mormon."Columbus Religion", Sperling's BestPlaces, Retrieved January 9, 2010. Places of worship include ISKCON Columbus, Trinity Episcopal Church, Christian Community Church North, the Glenwood United Methodist Church, Broad Street United Methodist Church, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, Second Presbyterian Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, Roman Catholic Church's St. Joseph's Cathedral, the Greek Orthodox Church's Annunciation Cathedral, North Columbus Friends Meeting (Quaker), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Columbus Ohio Temple, Russian Baptist Fellowship in Westerville, the Ahlul Bayt Islamic Center, the Muslim Noor Islamic Cultural Center, and the Reform Jewish Temple Israel, the oldest synagogue in Columbus, Life Church at Easton in NE Columbus and The First Baptist Church of Columbus, Ohio, one of the oldest baptist churches in Columbus located in East Columbus. Megachurches include Xenos Christian Fellowship, Vineyard Columbus, World Harvest Church located in a southeast suburb and the First Church of Christ located in Southeast Columbus off of U.S. 104 and Refugee Road. Religious teaching institutions include the Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Ohio Christian University and the Pontifical College Josephinum. Parks and outdoor attractions , German Village]] , Victorian Village]] The Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District includes Inniswood Metro Gardens, a collection of public gardens; Highbanks Metro Park; Battelle-Darby Creek Metro Park; as well as many others. The Big Darby Creek in the southwestern part of town is considered to be especially significant for its beauty and ecological diversity. Clintonville is home to Whetstone Park, which includes the Park of Roses, a beautiful rose garden. The Chadwick Arboretum is located on the OSU campus, and features a large and varied collection of plants. Downtown, the famous painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is represented in topiary at Columbus's Old Deaf School Park. Also near downtown, a new Metro Park on the Whittier Peninsula opened in 2009. The park includes a large Audubon nature center focused on the excellent bird watching that the area is known for. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is world renowned for its collections that include lowland gorillas, polar bears, manatees, Siberian tigers, cheetahs, and kangaroos. Its director emeritus, Jack Hanna, frequently appears on national television, including on ''The Tonight Show and the Late Show with David Letterman. In 2009, it was ranked as the best zoo in the United States. Also in the zoo complex is the Zoombezi Bay water park and amusement park. Performing arts is a National Historic Landmark]] Columbus is the home of many renowned performing arts institutions including the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Opera Columbus, BalletMet Columbus, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, CATCO, Columbus Children's Theatre, Shadowbox Cabaret and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Throughout the summer Actors Theatre of Columbus offers free performances of Shakespearean plays in an open-air amphitheatre in Schiller Park, located in historic German Village. The Columbus Youth Ballet Academy was founded in the 1980s by internationally celebrated ballerina and artistic director Shir Lee Wu, a discovery of Martha Graham. Wu is now the artistic director of the Columbus City Ballet School, while her instruction remains in strong demand globally. Her students of the last couple decades have furthered their education at institutions such as The Juilliard School, School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, and Pacific Northwest Ballet Ballet School, while some have gone on to perform with companies including the New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Martha Graham Contemporary Dance Company, and BalletMet Columbus. Her students have won gold medals at the Youth American Grand Prix competition in New York, while others have been finalists in competitions such as the Concord De Dance de Paris.Columbus City Ballet School Retrieved July 26, 2009. , built in 1896, is a federally designated historic site]] There are many large concert venues in Columbus, including arenas such as Nationwide Arena and Jerome Schottenstein Center. The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion (the LC for short) (formerly the PromoWest Pavilion), Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Mershon Auditorium, and the Newport Music Hall round out the city's music performance spaces. In May 2009, the Lincoln Theatre, which was formerly a center for Black culture in Columbus, was reopened to the public after extensive restoration. Not far from the Lincoln Theatre is the King Arts Complex, which hosts various cultural events. The city also has a number of theatres downtown, including the historic Palace Theatre, the Ohio Theatre, and the Southern Theatre. Broadway Across America frequently presents touring Broadway musicals in these larger venues.Ohio Theatre, History of Shows Retrieved July 26, 2009. The Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts houses the Capitol Theatre and three smaller studio theatres, providing a home for resident performing arts companies. Hollywood Academy Award-winning movies filmed in Columbus and the central Ohio area include Steven Soderbergh's Traffic in 2000 and Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs in 1991. Other movies filmed in Columbus and the central Ohio area include Horrors of War (by local filmmakers Peter John Ross, John Whitney, and producer Philip R. Garrett) in 2006, Fallen Angels in 2006, Steven Soderbergh's Bubble in 2005, Criminal Minds in 1998, Wolfgang Petersen's Air Force One in 1997, Tango & Cash in 1989, Speak in 2004, Parker in 2013 and Teachers in 1984.Film Columbus, Movies filmed in Columbus metropolitan area Retrieved July 26, 2009. Sports ]] Professional teams , home of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, Arena District]] Columbus hosts two major league professional sports teams. The Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer play at the Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium built in the United States. The Crew were one of the original members of the MLS, and won their first MLS Cup in 2008. The Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League play at Nationwide Arena. The Columbus Clippers, Triple A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians (formerly a long-time affiliate of the New York Yankees through 2006, and the Washington Nationals through 2008), play in Huntington Park, which opened in 2009. The city was home to the Tigers football team from 1901–1926."The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports", Glenn Wong. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2008. ISBN 0-7637-2884-5, ISBN 978-0-7637-2884-7. In the 1990s the Columbus Quest won the only two championships during American Basketball League's existence. Ohio State Buckeyes , on the OSU Campus, is the 7th-largest non-racing stadium in the world."Top Ten Biggest Sports Stadiums In The World", Top Ten Land. 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2010.]] Columbus is home to The Ohio State University athletics, one of the most competitive collegiate programs in the nation. The institution has placed in the top-10 final standings of the Director's Cup five times since 2000–2001, including No. 3 for the 2002–2003 season and No. 4 for the 2003–2004 season."Stanford has built the nation's most successful athletics program", John Reid. Mercury News. June 22, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2010. The university funds 36 varsity teams, consisting of 17 male, 16 female, and three co-educational teams."About Ohio State Athletics", Ohio State University. 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2010. In 2007–2008 and 2008–2009, the program generated the second-most revenue for college programs behind the University of Texas."Report: OSU No. 2 for sports revenue", BizJournals. June 15, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009."Big Ten expansion: E-mails hint eyes are upon Texas", Bill Rabinowitz. Columbus Dispatch. June 4, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2010. The Ohio State Buckeyes are a member of the NCAA's Big Ten Conference, and the football team plays home games at Ohio Stadium. The OSU-Michigan football game (known colloquially as "The Game") is the final game of the regular season and is played in November each year, alternating between Columbus and Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 2000, ESPN ranked the OSU-Michigan game as the greatest rivalry in North American sports. Moreover, "Buckeye fever" permeates Columbus culture year-round and forms a major part of Columbus's cultural identity. Former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, an Ohio native who studied at Ohio State at one point and who coached in Columbus, was a big Ohio State football fan and donor to the university, having contributed for the construction of the band facility at the renovated Ohio Stadium, which bears his family's name.Biz Journals, George Steinbrenner Retrieved July 28, 2009. During the winter months, the Buckeyes basketball and hockey teams are also major sporting attractions. , formerly of the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets.]] Other sports Columbus hosts the annual Arnold Classic fitness expo and competition in early March. Hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the event has grown to eight Olympic sports and 12,000 athletes competing in 20 events.Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Biography Retrieved July 26, 2009. In conjunction with the Arnold Classic, the city hosted three consecutive Ultimate Fighting Championships events between 2007–2009, as well as other mixed martial arts events. Automotive racing star Jeff Gordon's company, Jeff Gordon Inc., along with Arshot Investment Corp., have plans to construct the Center for Automotive Research & Technology at Cooper Park, a proposed racing venue and center just west of downtown."Cooper Park takes next step" , Mark Ferenchik. Columbus Dispatch. August 31, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, a business venture owned by Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, television personality David Letterman, and entrepreneur Mike Lanigan, is based in the Columbus metropolitan area. Columbus has a long history in motorsports, hosting the world's first 24-hour car race at the Columbus Driving Park in 1905, organized by the Columbus Auto Club. The Columbus Motor Speedway was built in 1945 and held their first motorcycle race in 1946. In 2010 the Ohio State University student-built Buckeye Bullet 2, a fuel cell vehicle, set a FIA world speed record for electric vehicles in reaching 303.025 mph, eclipsing the previous record of 302.877 mph."The Buckeye Bullet 2", Green Muze. August 31, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2010. The annual All American Quarter Horse Congress, the largest single breed horse show in the world"All American Quarter Horse Congress", Experience Columbus. 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2010. is held at the Ohio Expo Center each October and attracts approximately 500,000 visitors annually. The Columbus Bullies were two-time champions of the American Football League (1940–1941). The Columbus Thunderbolts were formed in 1991 for the Arena Football League, and then relocated to Cleveland as the Cleveland Thunderbolts; the Columbus Destroyers were the next team of the AFL, playing from 2004 until the league's demise in 2008. Fairs and festivals , downtown.]] and Expo is held in August.]] Annual festivities in Columbus include the Ohio State Fair—one of the largest state fairs in the country—as well as the Columbus Arts festival and the Jazz and Ribs Festival, both of which occur on the downtown riverfront. June is a popular festival month in Columbus. During the first weekend in June, the bars of Columbus's trendy North Market District play host to Park Street Festival. The event attracts thousands of visitors from the surrounding neighborhoods and beyond, creating a massive party both inside the bars and on the street. The second to last weekend in June is one of the largest gay pride parades in the Midwest, reflective of the sizable gay population in Columbus. During the last weekend of June, ComFest (short for "Community Festival") is an immense three-day music festival, the largest non-commercial festival in the U.S., in Goodale Park ,with art vendors and live musicians on multiple stages, hundreds of local social and political organizations, body painting and beer. district hosts the "Gallery Hop" monthly.]] The Hot Times festival is held annually in Columbus's historic Olde Towne East neighborhood—a celebration of music, arts, food, and diversity. Restaurant Week Columbus is the city's largest dining event, held for a week in mid-July and mid-January each year. This popular event featured over 40 restaurants in January 2010. Over 40,000 diners went out during the week, culminating with a $5,000 donation made to the Mid-Ohio Food bank on behalf of sponsors and participating restaurants.Eat614.com, Restaurant Week Columbus The JuneteenthOhio Festival is held each year at Franklin Park on Father's Day weekend. JuneteenthOhio is one of the largest African American festivals in the United States, started 19 years ago by Mustafaa Shabazz. The festival is three full days of music, food, dance, and entertainment by local and national recording artists. The festival holds a Father's Day celebration, honoring local fathers. Around the Fourth of July, Columbus hosts Red, White, and Boom! on the Scioto riverfront downtown to crowds of over 500,000 people. The popular Doo Dah Parade is held at this time, as well. During Memorial Day Weekend, the Asian Festival is held in Franklin Park. Hundreds of restaurants, vendors, and companies open up booths, traditional music and martial arts are performed, and cultural exhibits are set up. In recent years, attendees have numbered over 100,000. The Jazz and Rib Fest is a free downtown event held each July featuring jazz artists like Randy Weston, D. Bohannon Clark, and Wayne Shorter, along with rib vendors from around the country. The Short North is host to the monthly "Gallery Hop", which attracts hundreds to the neighborhood's art galleries (which all open their doors to the public until late at night) and street musicians. The Hilltop Bean Dinner is an annual event held on Columbus's West Side that celebrates the city's Civil War heritage near the historic Camp Chase Cemetery. At the end of September, German Village throws an annual Oktoberfest celebration that features authentic German food, beer, music, and crafts. The Short North also hosts HighBall Halloween, Masquerade on High, a fashion show and street parade that closes down High Street. In 2011, in its fourth year, HighBall Halloween gained notoriety as it accepted its first Expy award. HighBall Halloween has much to offer for those interested in fashion and the performing and visual arts or for those who want to celebrate Halloween and with food and drinks from all around the city. Each year the event is put on with a different theme and it increases in size and popularity. Columbus also hosts many conventions in the Greater Columbus Convention Center, a pastel-colored deconstructivist building on the north edge of downtown that resembles jumbled blocks, or a train yard from overhead. The convention center was designed by architect Peter Eisenman, who also designed the aforementioned Wexner Center. Completed in 1993, the convention center now has of space. building in 2008, Capitol Square]] Media , East Coast Call Center]] Columbus's sole remaining daily newspaper is The Columbus Dispatch; its erstwhile main competitor, The Columbus Citizen-Journal, ceased publication on December 31, 1985. There are also a number of weekly newspapers, including neighborhood/suburb specific papers such as the Dispatch 's ThisWeek Community News, which serves 23 suburbs and Columbus; The Daily Reporter, central Ohio's only daily business and legal newspaper; UWeekly which serves the OSU community; ThisWeek; and "alternative" arts/culture/politics-oriented papers such as Outlook Media s Outlook: Columbus, and aLIVE (formerly the independent Columbus Alive, and now owned by the Columbus Dispatch). C: The mostly monthly Columbus Magazine, CityScene, (614) Magazine, and Columbus Monthly are the city's magazines. The newest addition to the Columbus media scene is Live Local! Columbus, a free, quarterly magazine that focuses on local arts, culture, and events. Online media publication ColumbusUnderground.com also serves the Columbus region as an independently owned alternative voice. The city's business community is also served by Columbus Business First, a weekly business publication that is part of the Charlotte-based American City Business Journals, which have business papers in cities across the U.S. Extensive Statehouse coverage is provided by Gongwer News Service, a daily independent political newsletter. Television Columbus is the base for 12 television stations and is the 34th largest television market.Local Television Market Universe Estimates, Nielsen, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2010. * WCMH-TV 4 (NBC) * WDEM-CD 17 (Ind) * WOSU-TV 34 (PBS) * WSYX 6 (ABC) * W23BZ-D 23 (Ind) * WCPX-LP 48 (AZA) * WGCT-CD 8 (Ind) * WTTE 28 (Fox) * WSFJ-TV 51 (TBN) * WBNS-TV 10 (CBS) * WCSN-LD 33 (Ind) * WWHO 53 (CW) It was in Columbus where Warner Cable introduced its two-way interactive QUBE system in December 1977, which consisted of specialty channels that would evolve into national networks Nickelodeon, MTV and The Movie Channel. QUBE also displayed one of the earliest uses of Pay-per-view and video on demand. Radio Columbus is home to the 36th largest radio market.Arbitron Radio Market Rankings: Spring 2010, Arbitron, Spring 2010, Retrieved May 2, 2010 The following box contains all of the radio stations in the area, as well as their current format: * WTVN – 610 AM News/Talk * WVSG – 820 AM Religious (Catholic) * WRFD – 880 AM Religious * WMNI – 920 AM News/Talk * WYTS – 1230 AM Sports * WBNS – 1460 AM Sports * WDLR – 1550 AM Spanish * WVKO – 1580 AM Talk * WWGV – 88.1 FM Religious * WUFM – 88.7 FM Christian Contemporary * WOSU – 89.7 FM Public Radio * WCBE – 90.5 FM Public Radio * WHKC – 91.5 FM Religious * WCOL – 92.3 FM Country * WODC – 93.3 FM Oldies * WSNY – 94.7 FM Adult Contemporary * WHOK – 95.5 FM Sports Talk * WLVQ – 96.3 FM Classic AOR * WBNS – 97.1 FM Sports Talk * WOBN – 97.5 FM Otterbein College * WNCI – 97.9 FM Top 40/CHR * WJKR – 98.9 FM Talk * WRKZ – 99.7 FM Rock * WCLT – 100.3 FM Country * WOSA – 101.1 FM Classical * WNKO – 101.7 FM Oldies * WWCD – 102.5 FM Alternative * WNND – 103.5 FM Classic Hits * WJKR – 103.9 FM News/Talk * WCVO – 104.9 FM Christian Contemporary * WBWR – 105.7 FM Classic Rock * WXMG – 106.3 FM Urban Adult Contemporary * WCGX – 106.7 FM Alternative * WNKK – 107.1 FM Country * WCKX – 107.5 FM Hip Hop * WVMX – 107.9 FM Hot AC Shopping Developer Richard E. Jacobs built the area's first three major shopping malls in the 1960s: Westland, Northland, and Eastland. Of these, only Eastland remains in operation. Columbus City Center was built downtown in 1988, alongside the first location of Lazarus; this mall closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2011. Easton Town Center was built in 1999, and Polaris Fashion Place in 2001. Sister cities Columbus has eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International. Columbus established its first Sister City relationship in 1955 with Genoa, Italy. To commemorate this relationship, Columbus received as a gift from the people of Genoa, a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus. The statue, sculpted by artist Edoardo Alfieri, overlooks Broad Street in front of Columbus City Hall. Ahmedabad, India * Dresden, Germany * Genoa, Italy * Hefei, China * Herzliya, Israel * Odense, Denmark * Seville, Spain * Tainan City, Taiwan }} See also *List of people from Columbus, Ohio *Battelle Hall *Columbus Quest References ;Notes Bibliography * * External links * Columbus Official city website * Experience Columbus Columbus Convention and Visitor Bureau * C-SPAN on the Road: Columbus, Ohio A C-SPAN program that featured the history of and literary life in Columbus. The program aired on September 1–2, 2012. }} Category:Settlements established in 1812 Category:Cities in Ohio Category:Columbus, Ohio Category:County seats in Ohio Category:Cities in Delaware County, Ohio Category:Cities in Fairfield County, Ohio Category:Cities in Franklin County, Ohio Category:Planned cities in the United States Category:National Road Category:Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area Category:University towns in the United States Category:Settlements on the Underground Railroad